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The Alaska Beacon is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government. Our journalists fairly and fearlessly report on the people and interests that determine state policy.
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4 days ago · Louisiana’s Mike Johnson elected U.S. House speaker by GOP in cliff-hanger vote BY: Jennifer Shutt, Ariana Figueroa and Shauneen Miranda - January 3, 2025 WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Friday elected Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson as their speaker for the 119th Congress, following weeks of speculation about whether the GOP would begin another …
Construction and oil expected to lead job growth in Alaska this year
4 days ago · Construction workers attend to outdoor tasks on Dec. 17, 2024, at a residential project being built in downtown Anchorage. Alaska is expected to gain 1,500 construction jobs this year, according to the annual forecast published by state Department of Labor and Workforce Development economists.
'We're not heading in the right direction': A Q&A with Murkowski …
5 days ago · Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski wanted to talk. I heard from her spokesman earlier this week, and we set up a time for a call. Murkowski said she’d read my commentary about the skyrocketing price of health insurance on the individual marketplace in Alaska, and had some thoughts to share.
Task force report identifies ways to make child care more available …
6 days ago · Children's coats hang in a hallway at Hillcrest Childcare Center in Anchorage o n April 18. The second and final report of a child care task force holds recommendations for expanding subsidies that families receive, speeding the caregiver licensing and hiring process and other steps intended to address the state's shortage of affordable child care.
Regulators, advocates warn of utility inaction as Alaska gas …
Dec 31, 2024 · State regulators and advocates say they’re growing increasingly concerned about urban Alaska’s energy supply as the region’s utilities hurtle toward a shortfall in local natural gas as soon as 2027 — without a clear plan to replace it. “The window for making decisions is closing,” said ...
Alaska election results are official: Here are 5 takeaways
Nov 30, 2024 · Alaska’s election results were made official on Saturday, after the state review board finished certifying the results. Here are five takeaways from the final results: There were no changes in the outcomes, but the margin defeating ranked choice repeal grew
Slight increase in Alaska’s minimum wage coming ahead of larger, …
Nov 28, 2024 · Alaska’s minimum wage workers will get a tiny bump in pay starting on Jan. 1 before a larger increase becomes effective six months later. The state’s minimum wage will increase by 18 cents to $11.91 an hour at the start of the new year, the result of a ballot measure passed 10 years ago, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development said on …
Alaska voters favor minimum wage hike, sick leave mandate, with …
Nov 6, 2024 · Alaska voters favored a ballot measure backed by labor unions by a margin of 12.46 percentage points with roughly 70% of the ballots counted early Wednesday.
Dire condition of Alaska’s seafood industry has many causes and …
Nov 19, 2024 · In a panel discussion at last week’s Resource Development Council for Alaska annual conference in Anchorage, Bundrant pointed to the recently announced Russian decision to increase its allowable catch of pollock by 7% to 2.46 million metric tons. The Russian quota decision ran counter to advice from some scientists and pleas from some Russian fishing …